Shin Pads
Question:  I  have a question on shin pad placement. Should they be inside the tongue or out and over the tongue of the skate? I have one person trying to tell me they should be on the outside and another says to lace them inside the tongue. 

We prefer wearing them on the outside for a couple of reasons.  First, there is less restriction of movement with the pads positioned outside the tongue of the skate.  Second, we think that wearing the pad on the outside gives the player more protection from shots around the top of the skate. 

However, whatever is the most comfortable rules the day.

Wing position on breakout
Question: I play left wing and am wondering where to play when the puck is in our end.  Should I be protecting the front of the net with the defense or positioning myself near the boards for a break-out?

You should not be in position for the break-out until your team has clear possession of the puck.  The wings generally should be at the top of the circle preventing passes to and covering the points.  If you are the wing on the strong side, you should prevent the pass from down low to the defensive point on your side.  If you are the weak side wing, you again should be at the
top of the circle preventing passes to the point and covering the point.  If you are on the weak side and your center goes into the corner to cover the puck, you should slip down into the high slot and cover the other team's center.

Playing the point on the opposite handed side
I see a lot of defensive players who shoot right but are playing on the left side.  It seems awkward and they have to play to puck on the backhand a lot.  Why not have the right handed player be on the right point?

That is old school - here is new school thinking.  The idea is that the defensive points get a better shooting and passing angle by playing opposite sites.  In addition, in the defensive zone, they end up playing the puck more on their forehand behind  their goal.

It can be awkward handling the puck that comes up the boards in the offensive zone because it is on yourr backhand.  We recommend that you use yourr feet to stop the puck and to kick it out to your forehand.

 

Dryland for Goalies
What are some Dryland training ideas for Goalies?

Here are a few tips that have been tried and proven to help goalies with their strength, flexibility and hand-eye coordination.

1. Skating...the number one thing that is often overlooked...all goalies should
work hard and consistently at their skating ability. It all matters... crossovers both ways, stopping both ways, skating backwards etc.  Becoming a good skater sets the foundation for being strong, agile and balanced at the goalie position.

2. Flexibility...this is very key. Establish a set stretching routine that can  be done "off and on" the ice. Primary focus should be the groin area, back,  neck and leg muscles.

3. Strength...heavy lifting is not advised but rather a routine should be established of arm and leg exercises with moderate weight that should be done in 1 to 3 sets of 10 reps. Initially start with 1 set of 10 reps. Focus on arm lifts and back/front leg lifts. Increase number of sets as endurance improves.  Key with strength conditioning is to "train--don't strain". Goal is to build
endurance, especially in the legs, as a goalie must be on his feet and agile for approx. 3 periods lasting approx. 30 minutes each.

4. Hand-eye Co-ordination...bounce a tennis ball off the wall...face wall and  try to catch ball with catching hand and block with opposite hand (blocker  side). Also, stop ball by extending leg (both ways.)  Initially, individual (goalie) can bounce ball directly and program where the ball will go to emphasize how to stop it( with each hand and leg).  Once advanced with this
routine, have someone else bounce the ball from behind while goalie is facing the wall. Creates better quickness and razor sharp reflexes as goalie has to react quickly to where the ball is going once it is bounced off the wall.

Also, FYI....there is a great hockey publication that comes out monthly (usually on most newspaper stands right next to the Hockey News) called Goalies which highlights a particular NHL goalie and how they position and set themselves to stop the puck in various situations.

Hope this helps and note that playing the position of goal requires a commitment  to repeat a set routine over and over. Repetition of a set routine is the best  way to improve a skill or technique. Not glamorous but repetition does work.



Lifetime thanks special contributing coach - Doug Senyk

Stopping a forward in no check hockey
Stopping a forward coming down on defense without hitting him or her  off the puck is difficult. What can I  do?

My experience in this matter is to first develop a great backward stride (C Cuts.) Balance for a defensemen is crucial in helping stay in front of a speedy forward that has great agility.  Doing 1 on 1's every practice will give you the confidence to stay in front.

Always have your stick in front you with one hand on the  stick - never swipe your stick side to side as that creates poor balance and that is NOT what you want.

Good Luck,

Tom Bast
Head Instructor
Lifetime Hockey, LLC
 

Right Turns
Question:  I have trouble turning to my right side, say around a face-off circle or
something like that, how would I keep my balance. And also where would I
position my feet?

 
Answer:  Most players typically have a weak side when turning.  Typically it is the
right turn.  Most open skating rinks don't help us with this as they allow
everyone to skate counter-clockwise which emphasizes the right foot crossing
over which is easier for most of us.

We recommend that you practice right cross-overs by walking down hallways and
taking a right turn while crossing over your left foot while pushing your right
foot behind.

While on the ice, practice working in the corners at open skating.  Practice
the right cross-over on the circles.  If you are on the ice with a hockey
stick, keep it out in front of you and turn it and follow it as your turn on
the arc.

If you just want to turn (without the cross-over) try leading with the foot
that is on the side you are turning and keep your trailing foot behind it.  So
if you are turning right, place your right skate in front and trail it
with your left skate and vice-versa if you turn to your left.  Force yourself
to keep practicing the turn whenever you are on the ice.
 

Hockey Pucks
Question:  My son is doing a science fair project on freezing the hockey puck - i.e.
how it decreases the bounce , increases its speed etc.  Can you offer any input. 
Does the NHL freeze the puck in water or just a freezer?  Is there a certain time or
temperature?  Do they store them in a cooler?  Are then any regulations regarding
this?

Answer:  The NHL freezes pucks but not in water.  Here is a quotation
from Alain Hache's book "The Physics of Hockey" (2002):

"Rubber is one of the most elastic materials on earth, and even vulcanization can't stop hockey pucks from bouncing.  Smashed against a hard surface like concrete or ice, a puck rebounds with between 45 and 55 percent of its original velocity (less so on a softer surface like a board).  This percentage is the so-called "coefficient of restitution."  In an ideal world, the puck wouldn't bounce off the ice at all.  To minimize this unruly behavior, someone discovered a long time ago that freezing the puck before a game would make it slide better and bounce less, owing to its increased stiffness.  This can be demonstrated in  a simple home experiment:  place a puck in a freezer for an hour and then let it drop sideways on a concrete floor, along with a puck kept at room temperature.  You will find that the cold puck bounces less than half the height of the warm puck.  In fact, they will bounce to about 12 percent and 27 percent of their original height, respectively.  Note that a 50 percent velocity restitution versus a 25 percent height restitution for a warm puck is not a contradiction.  This difference exists because the height at which the puck rises depends on its initial kinetic energy, which goes as v(2).  So if we cut the puck's velocity by half, it comes back to 1/2 X 2=1/4 of its original height.  For the frozen puck, the coefficient of velocity  restitution is therefore on the order of 35 percent, as opposed to 50 percent for the unfrozen ones.  This is why buckets of pucks are kept refrigerated during NHL games."
 

Skate Fit
Question:  Do I have the wrong skates? It seems no matter how tight, or loose, I lace my
skates, I get cramps in the bottom of my feet.  I don't think I have a wide
foot and my skates are Bauer EE (wide). Lately, I tend to make them tighter
only in the last 2-3 eyelets atop the skate. Sometimes doing this makes me
think I'm making my foot work too hard and causing the problem.  Should I just
make them as tight as possible all the way up? I see some people with the lace
hooks really making their skates tight.

Answer:  You might try orthotics in your skates.  You could pull out the insert (sole)
that is in the skate and put in an inexpensive boot orthotic (you can find them
at outdoor outfitter type stores or a good shoe store).  You might also
consider getting an orthotic foot support made for your skates.  Most ski
shops that make them for ski boots can make one for your skates.  Generally you
step into a heated form and an imprint is made of your foot, cut out and placed
in your skate.

The other ideas is to go see a podiatrist and learn what might be the problem
with your feet in the skates.  Skates should be tight--but not too tight.  You
might try skipping the first set of eyelets near the toe and then not lacing up
the top eyelet and if you have extra lace to wrap it around the skate before
you tie it up.

 

Shooting Right or Left?
Question:  I'm a right-handed beginner. Should I shoot left or right? It feels more
natural to hold the stick as a left-handed shot. Am I losing anything by
shooting left?

Answer:  You should choose a stick that feels natural and comfortable.  There are many
right-handed players who are left shots and some left-handed players who are
right shots.

There is a school of thought that your dominate hand should be on the lower
part of the stick--similar to golf.  So under that theory you would be losing
some of the pushing power of your dominate hand.  On the other hand, you would
lose the manipulative power of your dominate hand as the top hand under that
theory.

According to Wikipedia, "Approximately 8 to 15% of the adult population is left-
handed."  Under this  theory, only 8-15% of the hockey sticks sold
would be left handed.  My guess is most stores sells about an equal number
of left versus right hand sticks.


Bottom Line: Go with what feels natural.  Gordie Howe could shoot both ways and
he would just switch his hands as he was skating down the ice.
 

Goalie catching hand
Question: Is there a standard for goalies that they should use the same hand to catch as they would for baseball?

Answer: There are no rules as to an individual's preference as to which hand they use for catching the puck as a goaltender. Generally right handed players use their left hand to catch and use their dominate hand to handle the stick and blocker which can require more dexterity. This is usually true in baseball for instance where a player will catch with their non-dominate hand and throw with their dominate hand. However, we would recommend that you decide which hand feels more comfortable catching the puck and go with that preference. Generally left hand dominate individuals that play goal catch with their right hand and use their left hand to handle the stick and blocker.
 

Face-off line up in the Defensive Zone
Question:   I am trying to get my team to line up in our zone like they do in the NHL,
where the outside winger lines up on the inside of the circle and the D on that
side takes his spot along the boards. It seems like a no lose situation, but I
can't get people to understand it. Could you elaborate on this setup?

Answer:  This is a great question.  You are correct at almost all levels of organized
hockey, teams are playing a defenseman along the boards when there is a
defensive zone face-off.

We will see if we can get up a diagram of this face-off line-up. (See our Diagram by clicking here.)

Here is how we explain it:

In the defensive zone for face-offs, place 1 defenseman on the hash marks on
the circle ("slot side") and that player's responsibility is to tie up the wing
that the offensive team places on the "slot side" hash mark.

Place a wing behind this defenseman and that player's job is to take the middle
point if the puck is drawn up there.  The second wing is just inside the "slot
side" defenseman on the circle.  That player's responsibility is to cover the
point along the boards.  This player cuts through the circle to get to the
point.

The second defenseman is placed along the circle on the board's side just short
of the hash mark.  This player should line up facing their center man and should
be prepared to go into the circle to help out if the center man win the draw and
ties up the other center.  If the puck goes down low in the corner, this
defenseman is ready to get to the puck.

I hope this explanation will assist your team.

 

Getting into the play on defense
Question:  How can I get in the play more while defense?

Answer:  The best thing you can do on defense to stay active is to continue moving your
feet--especially when you are at the point.  Skate in small circles and keep
yourself moving and ready to read and react to the play.  A Defenseman that stops
moving their feet is generally not in the play.

 

Right hand or left hand play
Question:  Right hand versus left hand...if I am a right handed shot will I automatically be a right winger/right defenseman what side should I play on?

Answer:  There is no rule of thumb.  Traditionalists would play a right hand shot on the
right point (on defense) or as a right wing.  However, more recently coaches
have favored switching the defense and wings to the opposite sides.  It is argued that this allows the player a better angle shot on the net.  As a defenseman it is more difficult to cover the point on your opposite side; when the puck comes up the boards, you are force to play it on your back-hand. However, when you handle the puck in your own end, you are on your forehand when you skate toward and behind the goal.

The short answer is--personal preference.

 

Stick Flex
Question: What are the different degrees of flex in hockey stick?

Answer:  Generally, senior or adult sticks have a flex of 70-100.  The higher the
number, the stiffer the stick.  If you are strong and have the ability to hit a
puck hard, a stiffer stick will result in a faster and harder shot.  It is
however, counter-productive for an average adult player to use a stiff stick. 
A flex score of say 70-75 is more appropriate.

 

Cherry Picker
Question: How do you defend against a cherry picker, especially when he is a fast and talented player. Please help! I will play this team in our state championships and would hate to lose to a CHERRY PICKER.  (Note: A Cherry Picker is a wing who drifts into the neutral zone behind the other team's defense when his team is on defense.) 

Answer: A defensemen needs to follow a cherry picker. Your defense needs to be aware of this situation and one of your players needs to follow the cherry picker as he leaves the defensive zone. Another idea (if this player is as good as you believe) is to "shadow" him. Have one of your forwards follow him where ever he is on the ice. Talented players hate this and it may limit is interest in cherry picking.  

Deking
Question:  Could you give me a good outline of a really good hockey deke when I am one a 
one on one and when I am on a breakaway?

Answer:  Here are a couple of ideas:

1.  In a one on one situation, go wide and spin toward the boards.  Generally 
the defender will stop.  Then hit one of your trailers who are entering the 
offensive zone.  They will be moving and will be behind the play.  Your team 
will get an excellent scoring chance.

2.  In deking a goaltender, being convincing is the key.  The goaltender needs 
to "take" your fake.  Consider coming in on the goaltender on a bit of an angle 
and faking to your backhand and then move the puck to your forehand and put it 
over the goaltender.

Generally on a breakaway, if the goaltender backs up into the net--shoot a 
wrist shot--low stick side--there is really no opportunity to deke in that 
situation--but if a goaltender comes out and is not quick in moving back into 
the net--try the deke.

If you have trouble deking it may be how you are moving the puck when you make your deke. 
If you only go side to side with the puck, it is much easier for a defender to make the poke
check.  Try practicing stick-handling with moving the puck both east and west 
but also on your forehand side, north and south.  So when you make your deke,
if the puck is pulled quickly back to your side so that it it almost behind
you, it is much more difficult for the defender to poke it.

Playing Great Teams
Question:  Is their any good strategy or plays my team can use in a tournament with great Teams?

Answer:  Talent generally beats lesser talent. Against great teams, I would suggest trying to shorten the game. Ice the puck, dump it out of the zone, make them skate, have your goaltender freeze the puck. Add some ringers!